Syrians have become accustomed to darkness not only in their hearts and minds, but also in their bleak, lonesome neighborhoods shackled by pitch blackness for hours on end, until the relief of God comes. 

An hour pierces through them without pausing to consider what it leaves behind. Everything needs electricity, even rural women churning milk to extract their livelihood need electricity. The hour is not even enough for a broad smile or a long yawn.

Syrians enter into a conflict with time every day, with an endurance that requires resilient bodies. They watch whether water flows to wash clothes that have long awaited their turn in the belly of the washing machine. 

There is delicious food the family craves, and electricity is the way to make it, after gas has become absent from many Syrian homes, not to mention the "power bank" that needs charging to keep the citizen company when lights disappear from his home.

They race among themselves to provide a small cell phone with a little bit of charge, even if it only gets 12% charged, but that serves the purpose when light suddenly vanishes without a whisper, only to see the path to bed and nothing more, because their day usually ends here.

Such is the state of Syrians who enter the struggle of the connecting hour, trying to finish their tasks before eight hours descend upon their heads tirelessly.

The Crisis Exacerbated the Problem

When we ask Najeb, he says these are Damascus’ rations of electricity due to shortages in oil supplies, malfunctions in generating stations and lack of gas needed for operation.

In fact, the electricity problem in Syria is not new, but it has never been as disastrous as it became after the war on Syria, which led to oil theft and control by American-run terrorist groups, and destruction of another part, which led to reduced activity of electric power generation groups, amid shortages of materials like gas and fuel, which in turn sometimes get looted by occupying Turkish and American forces.

The American forces that control the largest part of the energy-rich lands in northeastern Syria are the reason behind the suffering of the Syrian people, and the reason behind the disastrous electricity situation.

According to previous statements by Electricity Minister Eng. Ghassan Al-Zamil, Syria needs at least six thousand megawatts, but improvement in electricity is linked to availability of energy supplies and readiness of generating stations together, in addition to readiness of transmission networks.

Innovation Born From the Womb of Misery  

The innate Syrian ability to adapt forced them to devise their own ways to combat darkness by various means. Amid this tragic reality, many Syrian families rushed to get ampere subscriptions to operate some devices deemed necessary. 

Fadia from Sahnaya says a 2 ampere current lights up and runs the fridge in her home. If she wants to run the washing machine occasionally, she has to disconnect the fridge from the power.

As for Mohammed, who lives in the industrial zone, he sees that the best option in the current situation is to install solar panels.

Perhaps the prominent solution for many Syrians is using expensive generators to produce energy and light up their homes and electrical devices that were about to break down.

A considerable portion of Syrians resorted to using car batteries to generate power, especially those who cannot afford an expensive generator. The battery was their first choice for producing a limited amount of electricity since it does not require any economic burden as it relies on the principle of charge and discharge.

As for the segment that can barely afford the price of bread, they find candles the only suitable means to complete their gloomy day. The candle melts upon their tears to become a night filled with groans and anguish. The purpose of candles in Syria is very different from the prevalent idea. Here, we do not have time for romance unless the afflicted